Phens



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. STEPHENS. BOOT TREE.

No. 468,006. Patented-Feb. Z, 1892.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. H. STEPHENS.

BOOT TREE.

No. 468,006. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

frwenZor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HENRY STEPHENS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

BOOT-TREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,006, dated February 2,1892.

Application filed May 1, 1891. Serial No. 391,189. (No model.)

T0 (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY STE- PHENS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boot-Trees, of which the following is a specitic-ation.

My invention relates to boot-trees.

According to my invention, the toe and heel portions of a boot-tree, instead of being made separate and adapted to be forced apart by means of a wedge placed between them, are connected together by means of a link in such a manner that after the toe portion of the tree is placed in the boot and the heel portion is in its place the said link forms,

with the said heel portion, a kind of toggle to force the said toe portion firmly into the boot.

To enable my invention to be fully understood, I will describe the same with. reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of my improved boottree, and Fig. 2 a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the method of applyin g my improved boot-tree.

a b are respectively the toe and heel parts or portions of my improved boot-tree, and c is the link, which is pivotally connected to the said two parts-for instance, by means of pins 01 (l'and which, when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is adapted to lie in a recess formed partly in the part a and partly in the part b. It will be seen by reference to the drawings that the tree is flat upon the upper side; but it is to be understood that, if desired, the toe and heel parts of the tree may be made higher, so as to stretch the instep portion of the boot. In this case, however, the recess in which the link 0 is located must be of such size as to allow the free movement of the said link.

In applying my improved tree to a boot the heel portion 19 is raised relatively to the toe portion a, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to allow the toe portion to be readily introduced as far as possible into the boot. The heel portion is then moved down to the position indicated by dotted lines and pressure is applied above the pivot d to straighten the toggle formed by the link 0 and heel-piece l2, and thereby press the toe portion firmly into the front of the boot.

To enable the tree to be readily withdrawn, I provide notches e 6, so that the fingers can be applied to the edge of the heel portion to raise the same.

Some of the chief advantages of my improved boot-tree are that it can be quickly and easily applied and removed, that it is comparatively light, and that it is extremely portable and very suitable for travelers, there being no loose parts to become detached.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isl. A last composed of two parts, one comprising the shank and toe-piece and the other the heel-piece, and a toggle-link, the shank and toe-piece being pivoted to one end of the link and the heel-piece to the other end of said link and both parts lying normally in a substantially horizontal plane, as set forth.

2. A last composed of the parts a and I), connected by a link pivoted at each of its ends to one of said parts and normally lying in substantially a horizontal plane, as shown and described, the toe-piece having notches e e, for the purpose set forth.

3. A last composed of the parts a and I), each pivotally connected to the link 0, as shown and described, the parts cr and Z) having each a recess in which the link normally lies in substantially the same horizontal plane with such parts when closed together.

GEORGE HENRY STEPHENS.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN E. BONSFIELD, Of the firm of G. F. Reclferit d: 00., *1 South Street, Finsburz London, Patent Agents.

W. G. BROKENSHIRE. 

